Electrolytic apparatus



(No Model.)

T. ORANEY. ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

No. 482,724. Patented Sept. 20, 18 92.

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STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ORANEY, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,724, datedSeptember 20, 1892.

Application filed January 2, 1892- $erial No. 416N764. (No model.) i

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS CRANEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful In1- provements in ElectrolyticApparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electrolyticapparatus, and refers more specifically to the construction of theanode. The process of electrolysis has been applied heretofore for thedecomposition of solutions of metallic salts; but none of the attemptshave been of practical success as far as the commercial exploitation ofthe process on a large scale is concerned. The reason for this is mainlydue to the fact that the permanencyof the anodes and cathodes could notbe maintained for any reasonable length of time. In electrolyzin gmetallic salts-such as chloride of sodiu n1-it is especially diffioultto prevent the anode from disintegration, as it is exposed to thedestructive action of the chlorine. The one material which has beenfound to have suitable conducting qualities and to be practicallyindestructible is carbon, and the Way it has been employed is in theform of a solid body or pencil made either of carbon or powdered carbonheld together by a binding material carbonized by baking.

lVhile such solid carbon bodies or pencils are sufficiently-goodconductors, theyare not permanent enough to make their use in acommercial plant a success, as they soon disintegrate either by themechanical action of the current or the chemical action of the acidradicals, such as chlorine gas, the chlorates, or other products formedby electrolysis of chloride of sodium, and which act upon the impuritiesin the carbon.

The object of rnyinvention is to make acarbon anode in such a mannerthat neither the action of the electric current nor the disintegratingchemical action of the products of the electrolysis can break itdown,and thereby destroy its permanency; and to this end itconsists inincasing the carbon body in a cell or cells formed of non-porous andnonconducting material and confining the electrolytic action of theanode to a segregated portion or portions of the body. The materialwhich forms the cell is made of stoneware, glass, or other likesubstance unaffected by the action of the current, as well as by thechemical action of the products of electrolysis, and the segregatedportions are inclosed or contained in vertical or substantially verticalinterstices formed in the walls of a cell or between the walls of two ormore superimposed cells or sections. In this way the disintegration ofthe segregated portion of the anode will not in any way affect thepermanency ot' the anode, all as more fully hereinafter described, andshown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammaticsection of an electrolytic apparatus embodying the principle of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through the electrolyticapparatus embodying the principle of my invention in a modified form.Fig. 3 isahorizontalsection on line no 00 thereof, and Fig. 4 is asimilar section on line y y. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through amodified form of cell. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the cells.

A represents a suitable electrolytic vessel or vat in which the chlorideof sodium or other solution to be treated is contained.

B is a cell placed within the vessel A. It is made of a material whichremains unaffected by the solution under treatment or any of theproducts of electrolysis thereof. 0 is a smaller cell of the samematerial projecting with its lower end into the cell B and with itsupper end above the surface of the solution in the Vessel A, thetwocells forming the interstitial space D between their walls. The tube 0and cell B are preferably filled with some finely-divided carbon packedinto the same, so as to form a continuous conductorof electricity fromthe top above the liquid to the exposed surface in the solution. In thismanner a portion of the carbon is segregated from the body and isexposed to the solution in the tank A at its upper horizontal surface inthe cell B around the tube C,While the ver' tical surfaces arepermanentlyprotected therefom, as well as from the products formed atthe anode.

The construction of the electrolytic vessel itself forms no part of thisinvention, and it may be of any suitable form to permit the propercharging and discharging of its contents and the collection of anygaseous products should any arise.

The walls of the vessel A may represent the cathode, oraseparate cathodeor cathodes may be used.

The terminals of the battery or generator are secured to the cathode andanode in the usual manner.

Itis withinthespirit of myinvention to have the carbon either infinely-divided particles firmly packed into the vessel B and tube 0 orhave it solidified by the usual process of baking it with a carbonizablebinding material, or it may be formed partly of one and partly of theother-as, for instance, the mass in the tube 0 could be formed solid,while all or a portion of the material in the vessel B may be in afinely-divided state. In either form it will be seen that the verticalsurfaces are absolutely protected, while the horizontal surface leftexposed may be disintegrated to a considerable depth without affectingthe permanency of the anode, and no falling away or breaking down of theanode can take place, while at the same time a free discharge isprovided for any gaseous products.

For the commercial exploitation of my in vention I preferably constructthe anode in the form as shown in Fig. 2, in which the cell B is formedof conical sections partly inserted into each other, with intersticesleft between the walls of the superimposed sections. These spaces may beobtained by providing the sections of the outside with suitable ribs orprojections a, or other suitable means may be employed for the purpose.The cell 0 may or may not be used. Its object is to extend the carbonanode above the surface of the solution, which object could be obtainedby using enough sections in forming the cell B. The carbon is eitherpacked in in a finelydivided state or baked solid, as before described,and the interstices between the walls of the sections are again filledin to form segregated portions of the body, with the horizontal surfacesof these portions exposed to the electrolytic action. In thisconstruction a series of horizontal surfaces is formed on the outside ofthe anode in which the carbon is brought in direct contact with thesolution in the vessel and which may be disintegrated to a considerabledepth without affecting the permanency of the anode, the body of whichis permanently protected.

Instead of building the cell Bin sections it may be formed integrally inone piece, as shown in Fig. 5, in which the interstices are formed byperforations in the walls of the cell as nearly as possible in avertical direction as required to form interstices of the required depthto form segregated portions for the carbon body.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In an electrolytic apparatus, ananode consisting of a body of carbon arranged to expose a number ofseparate horizontal surfaces and a cell of non-conducting materialinclosing said anode and having openings leading to said surfaces,substantially as described.

2. In an electrolytic apparatus, a carbon anode incased within an outersupportingcell of non-conducting material, said anode consisting ofacentral body of pulverized carbon packed within the wall of the celland having segregated portions contained within pockets or intersticesformed in the walls of the cell and forming exposed horizontal surfaces,substantially as described.

3.-In an anode for electrolytic apparatus, the combination of a cell ofnon-conducting material formed with open interstices in the wall thereofand a carbon body incased within said cell and provided with segregatedportions contained in the interstices of the cell and forming exposedhorizontal surfaces, sub-

